In the depths of Lu Chengfeng's consciousness, a faint golden halo spread from the center of his brow to every corner of his body, making him feel as if he were immersed in a warm spring.
The swordsmanship and inner strength cultivated painstakingly by Zhao Changzhen over decades were now fully infused into his body. It was as if he had personally gone through decades of relentless training and tempering.
Lu Chengfeng united his heart with the sword, and the sword with his body. As the Cold Cicada Sword danced, an extraordinarily fierce Sword Qi extended one foot from the blade's edge, scattering the bamboo leaves into the sky and exuding a chilling killer intent.
When swordsmanship is cultivated to the Tenth Layer, a qualitative change occurs, most directly manifested through the generation of Sword Qi, which is incomparably sharp and possesses an extremely terrifying destructive power.
Once Sword Qi is achieved, one gains the qualification to establish oneself in the Martial World and can travel and roam far and wide.
With martial arts skills below the Tenth Layer, one is merely considered a minion in the Martial World, unable to make any name for oneself, and risks courting disaster at the slightest negligence.
If Lu Chengfeng had not cultivated the Bixiao Sword Manual to the Tenth Layer and developed one foot of Sword Qi, he would not have been able to break through the defenses of the Black-haired Iron-armed Ape.
At this moment, feeling restless, the killer intent in the sword light intensified without him realizing, making the digestion of the endowment a bit faster.
After roughly two hours, the thirty-third sword move was naturally perfected, making the Sword Qi even colder and sharper.
"Swordsmanship cultivated to the Eighteenth Layer can produce Three-foot Sword Qi. Each foot increase in Sword Qi signifies qualitative transformation in sharpness and destructive power."
"The length of Sword Qi is merely an outwardly visible manifestation; fundamentally, it is the art of Swordsmanship that mobilizes one's Essence, Qi, and Spirit, thereby unleashing power that surpasses the physical limits."
"With every foot increase, one's strength undergoes a remarkable transformation."
"Continue!"
Compared to previous cultivation, the progress in his swordsmanship under the endowment was frighteningly fast, with endless revelations occurring every moment, each move thoroughly tempered.
In such circumstances, Lu Chengfeng could hardly bear any moment of slack, completely immersing himself in the cultivation of swordsmanship, exploring the profound mysteries of the Bixiao Sword Manual.
Unknowingly, night fell. Lu Chengfeng sheathed his sword with a clang, feeling that his arms were too weak to muster strength.
He had practiced the sword all night yesterday, and today he continued the arduous cultivation, akin to madness. The inner cultivation heart method of 'Blue Sea and Blue Sky' was only at the Seventh Layer, struggling to support such intense cultivation, causing him to feel muscle and bone pain in his arms.
"I can't continue!"
Lu Chengfeng knew that forcing himself to practice the sword further would only result in latent injuries difficult to heal, so he willingly stopped.
He glanced at the little bamboo house in the dim night, sighed lightly, and walked away.
"Yesterday's affairs are not worth keeping, let them go, let them go!"
Upon returning to his little courtyard, Lu Chengfeng saw a dim light in the bedroom. Through the thin curtain, he vaguely saw the silhouette of a woman sitting at the desk, resting her chin on her right hand.
Lu Chengfeng stood outside the door for a moment, calmed his somewhat chaotic emotions, and then pushed open the door to enter.
With a creak, the door opened, and Lu Chengfeng immediately saw Luo Suyi in front of the dressing table.
Today, she wore a goose-yellow long dress, exuding more elegance and intellect compared to the red wedding gown.
Yet, the dress couldn't hide her alluring figure and beautiful face. Instead, it added an extra touch of unique allure.
"You, you're back?" Luo Suyi said with a hint of surprise, quickly getting up from the chair upon hearing the door open.
"Yes, I'm back. How was your day? Did you have any meals? Did the food the old lady made suit your taste?" asked Lu Chengfeng, casually closing the door.
Luo Suyi quickly stepped forward, instinctively took the sword from his hand without prompting, hung it on the wall, then helped Lu Chengfeng take off his outer robe.
"Everything's fine on my side, you needn't worry. The two old ladies are amiable and caring, and the food they prepare is heartfelt. I spent the day chatting with them and didn't feel bored at all."
"But you haven't returned all day; I heard that Xue Dulong came to the mountain this morning. Are you alright? Did you get injured?"
As Luo Suyi spoke, she led Lu Chengfeng to the washstand. She had already prepared water for cleaning hands, rolled up his sleeves, and after Lu Chengfeng washed his hands, she used a towel to dry them for him.
She did all this quite naturally, without any awkwardness or discord, as if they had been married for many years, sharing an unspeakable tacit understanding.
Being attended to by her, Lu Chengfeng felt all the accumulated annoyance and fatigue dissipate silently, a warm current surging in his chest, his gaze towards Luo Suyi becoming increasingly gentle.
"Don't worry, I'm not injured. After all, this is Bixiao Peak; Xue Dulong wouldn't dare act recklessly, and the people from the Law Enforcement Hall were also present, so he suffered a hidden loss and left sullenly."
Luo Suyi couldn't help but pat her chest, causing ripples, and she smiled brightly: "That's good, that's good, as long as you're fine."
"You've been busy all day; you must be tired, right? I had the old lady warm your meal in advance. Would you like to eat now?"
Looking at her charming demeanor, Lu Chengfeng felt his heart heat up, all this as if she were a little wife concerned about her husband, making everything seem worthwhile.
"Sure, you accompany me for some too."
Luo Suyi, hearing this, went to the side, pulled a string to ring a bell, and the old lady, upon hearing the bell, quickly came over and asked outside the door, "Master, madam, do you have any orders?"
"Granny Wang, please bring in the meal prepared for the master," Luo Suyi instructed with a word.
"Alright!" The old lady agreed and turned to leave.
Shortly thereafter, two old ladies delivered the meal into the room.
Though it was dinner, the preparation was thorough: a pot of golden millet porridge, a plate of beef, crispy meat cakes, and three dishes of cold appetizers.
Lu Chengfeng was indeed somewhat hungry, martial artists naturally consume more, and having trained day and night, he did not bother being polite, immediately enjoying the meal heartily.
Luo Suyi hadn't taken dinner earlier, intending to eat with him upon his return, now seeing her man eat happily, she found herself eating quite a bit too.
Before they knew it, the dinner on the table was finished.
"Should we have Granny Wang prepare more?" Luo Suyi patted her small belly a bit awkwardly, wondering if she had eaten too much, perhaps leaving not enough for her husband.
Seeing her little demeanor, Lu Chengfeng couldn't help but chuckle: "I'm not a bottomless pit; how could I eat so much? Let the old lady clear away the dishes."
Only then did Luo Suyi instruct the old lady to tidy up everything.
Once the old lady closed the door, the room suddenly became quiet. Under the dim light, Luo Suyi felt the atmosphere somewhat amiss, her breathing inadvertently quickening, her flawless face tinged with a blush.
"Husband, it's late, let me help you wash your feet!"